A Peaceful Life with Rhiana de Hoyos

Rhiana de Hoyos is a plant based recipe creator, baker and recipe book author based in Los Angeles. Rhiana is dedicated to sharing the joys and ease of a plant based lifestyle.

What time do you wake up?

It depends on the time of year. I wake up with the first light. So, right now it’s about 6 am. and I aim for at least seven hours sleep but prefer 8 hours. I love sleeping.

How do you start your day?

With about a litre of water.

What do you eat for breakfast?

Maybe a smoothie, overnight oats, an acai bowl, a vegan quesadilla or roasted potatoes and salsa wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. Just depends how I’m feeling.

What do you do with your morning?

Drink water, make my bed, snuggle a kitty, get ready for work, make my breakfast and sometimes FaceTime with my partner.

What daily rituals are important to you?

Drinking water and taking walks.

Do you exercise?

I walk just about every day for at least 30 minutes. I usually break it up into two walks: one mid morning and another at lunch time. On the weekends I’ll take a walk just before the sun sets. I used to run four times a week but walking has been my exercise of choice lately. I also do 15-20 minutes of light yoga stretches before bed.

What do you eat for lunch?

Leftovers! And if there are no leftovers I’ll make myself a veggie sandwich or find someone to make me a bean and rice burrito.

Do you have a set of tasks/ responsibilities to handle every day?

Other than washing dishes, not really. I just need to make sure I get myself to work every day. I imagine that will change when I have a family. But for now, I’m pretty lucky. No big tasks to tackle except being a responsible human being.

What does your afternoon look like?

I work in an office until 5 p.m. so afternoons are spent sitting behind a computer, sadly.

Do you spend time with friends daily?

Not daily. My close friendships are very important to me, however, I’m very much a loner and prefer to spend most of my time alone if I’m not with my partner. I’m also very introverted so spending a lot of time with others can take a toll on me. I only have a handful of deeply close friendships. Two of them live in other states. I see my friends maybe a few times a year. There is one very close friend who I’ve known for 23 years. I visit with her most, maybe once or twice a month. She keeps me sane.

How do you begin your evening?

The moment I walk through the door, I drop my bags and lie on my bed and hang with my cat. Then I might water my plants. If I’m feeling inspired I’ll get in the kitchen and cook or bake something.

Does the day feel like one period to you or do you segment it?

I have to segment it or else it will feel like I’m living just to sit behind a desk. I have my time in the morning to build a calm energy and get things moving. I try not to look at my mornings as getting ready for work but rather preparing for the day. Then there’s my work day and coming home is my time to relax and just be. I’m much simpler than people realise.

What do you eat for dinner?

Pretty simple, I might roast some potatoes and have them with a dipping sauce, or maybe I’ll make my quick lazy vegan gal noodles or have some tofu scramble tacos. I’ve also been known to have a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Just depends what I’m in the mood for. I’ve been keeping things a lot simpler lately. I used to come home and spend a couple of hours creating a fabulous dish. It gets exhausting. Sometimes I just want to eat.

How do you spend your time before bed?

Mostly resting. Lately I’ve been working on my next eBook. If I’m not doing that I might be reading.

Do you have a night time routine?

Yes: brush my teeth, wash my face, maybe have a cup of tea and do some yoga stretches. I love reading when I get into bed. It kind of calms me and puts me to sleep.

What are the last things you focus on before you go to sleep?

You know, this is going to sound funny but lying in bed brings me so much joy. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. And the way I have it positioned which is sideways against a window with fluffy pillows makes it feel like a large comfy lounge chair/ day bed. I’m immediately in a peaceful place the moment I rest my body and, therefore, when I’m in it I unconsciously think of the all things that warm my heart like my partner, my family, a conversation I had with my friend, my cat, my health and the people I work with.

Though I sometimes have moments of frustration throughout my day either from the stress of paying bills or my work or the incessant traffic in LA, it never sways me from this constant feeling of peace. I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to love someone, to cuddle with a furry animal, to eat really yummy organic food and to talk with kind people. What a blessing this life is. No matter what I may be going through whether its stress or worry, it never lasts because I know that I am loved by Great Spirit. We all are.